The Red Rose
by Crimson Ice Flame
Summary: The Red Rose is a ruthless and merciless assassin as well as a robber. No one knows her face because she always wears a mask, but what happens when she meets none other than a certain ringtail named Sly Cooper. What will happen when the two collide and work together on a mission that could force this new thief to face her dreaded past? Rated M for language. Sly/OC
1. Chapter 1: The Red Rose

**Crimson Ice Flame: Oh my God! Am I crazy? Are you seeing things? The answer to these questions is a big fat NO! That's right, your little dragon princess here has a big change in her story writing! This time we have a story with the notorious Cooper Gang! But this has a twist because I have added a character of my own. Review if you like this! I own nothing.**

**Chatper 1: The Red Rose**

It was a dark night in Paris, France. The moon was high and at it's fullest. All seemed quiet until a loud thud was heard as smeone hit the rooftop floor.

"Ugh!" the figure landed with a grunt.

This strange figure had long, orange red hair; orange fur; a blood red, belly less top with a red rose symbol on the chest; a red mini skirt; red gloves; her red boots were high heeled and went to her knees, but her face was completely hidden by a red mask, white and black designs on it with that same red rose symbol on the left cheek, black mesh on the eye holes to prevent any visibility of her eye color. Her tail was big, bushy, and orange. No one could mistake the curves or that tail of a young female fox.

In her hand was a double sided sword that was able to separate into twin daggers. The woman stood up as she stared down the man before her.

"You life is mine, you sick bastard!" she pounced on him, forcing him on his back as he struggled to get her off, but the woman planted herself on his stomach. "You dont deserve to live after all the damage you've caused. Say goodbye..." and with that, the woman separated her sword and jabbed both daggers into his chest, through his heart.

The man coughed up blood before he stopped breathing entirely, motionless. The woman stood. She looked around before she swung her daggers, the blood flying off before she connected them and put it back in its sheath. She sighed softly before darting off, hopping from building to building.

(Never challenge the Red Rose, because in my game, I always win. Don't play my game unless you know how to win at it...) the woman thought.

The woman then stopped, reaching into her backpack as she pulled out a large diamond when she suddenly heard sirens wailing. But before she could make a run for it, a loud voice called out as she put the diamond back in her bag.

"Don't move, thief!" the woman turned around to see a certain fox before her.

"Inpector Carmelita Fox, nice to see you again..." she said with a grin underneath her mask.

"You've just stolen a large and very rare diamond, you've also just commited murder! I demand you to hand over the diamond and turn yourself in, Red Rose!" Carmelita shouted.

"I'm flattered you're using my stage name, but I'd prefer it if you used my real name. You do know what it is, right, or should I remind you?"

"Shut up! I know your real name!"

"Then why don't you tell me if you know what it is."

"Your name is Reiko Ayako, a master thief and an assassin who only works alone. You came from a family of royalty, but you entire family was murdered, so you resorted to a life of crime."

Reiko clapped her hands. "Very good! Someone's done their homework, but there is one flaw in you explaination of me."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm not from a family of royalty. My entire lifeline is of master thieves before me, but my grandparents parents changed their fate so they were of royalty, when in actuality, I am from a long line of master thieves. Why do you think I'm so damn good at my job?"

"Then why do you hide behind a mask like a coward!?" Carmelita growled.

"Because, Hun, if you see my face, you can easily find me. This way, you don't know who you're looking for when I remove my mask."

"I didn't think there was another fox here in Paris other than myself..."

"You're not the only fox in the world, Ms. Carmelita, much less Paris." she said. "That reminds me, I do believe you have it all out for that ringtail, Sly Cooper."

Carmelita's wardrobe consisted of a brown leather jacket; a navy blue, belly less top; tight blue jeans; brown knee high, laced boots; brown gloves; her long, blue hair pulled back in a braid; a gold earring in her left ear; and an Interpol logo on either side of her red and yellow shock pistol as well as an Interpol badge on her blue collar.

"Sh-shut up!"

"Oh, so it's true?" Reiko laughed. "How cute, head of Interpol and a master thief in a relationship all the while keeping it a secret? Adorable... But don't worry, Doll Face, that's our little secret... Now, I would love to stick around, but I'm afraid I have have _**real**_ work to attend to. I bid you a farewell... Au revoir, Ms. Fox. Till next time..." and with that, Reiko dashed off as Carmelita blasted shock rockets at her, missing every shot.

"You might wanna work on your aim, Sugah because you need a little more practice!" Reiko laughed.

"AYAKO!" Carmelita screamed as it echoed throughout the night air.

... ... ...

Reiko pounced from building to building until she grabbed a window ledge, opening the window and climbing in. She closed the window before setting her bag on the table along with her mask.

Reiko had a beautiful face, but it was much more different than Carmelita's, of course. No, Reiko's eyes were an enchanting royal blue, a silver earring in her right ear.

She took a seat on her soft, tan sofa, her laptop in her lap as she opened it, going into ThiefNet.

"Now let's see what kinda dirt, that Cooper has on him..."

Reiko typed in his name and found his profile as she read through it and was highly intrigued by it, she even thought he was kinda cute, for a raccoon anyway...

According to Sly Cooper's file, it said that he was in a gang known as the Cooper Gang. They went up against the Fiendish Five to steal back Sly's family book after his father was murdered right before his very eyes. Sly was dumped at an orphanage where he met Bentley the turtle and the brains of the gang and Murray the hippo, the brawn, also known as 'The Murray.'

Sly came from a long line of master thieves, same as Reiko, and found out that the Clockwerk parts were stolen by the notorious Klaww Gang. Sly and his gang are now trying to reclaim all the parts to destroy Clockwerk all together.

Reiko leaned against the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. For some reason, this ringtail has caught her interest, however, she decided not to get into it.

(Sly Cooper... He's now caught my interest in him... He's quite the looker, for a ringtail that is...) Reiko stood from the couch, closing her laptop as she went to take a shower.

When Reiko finished with her shower, she changed into some pajamas and climbed into bed when the sudden sound of loud music caught her ear drums. Reiko groaned angrily as she put a pillow over her face to try and block out the sound, which didn't work, obviously.

"Damn that money loving lizard! I'm gonna rip him a new one when I get my hands on him!" Reiko got out of bed and changed into her outfit.

Once Reiko was changed her clothes, she grabbed her weapon and her backpack, putting her mask on and throwing her bag over her shoulder as she climbed out the window, closing it before springing to the next building.

**Crimson Ice Flame: *Laughs evilly* I sense tention! A lot of shit is gonna happen in the next chapter! Be prepared! Please review and no flags! . Ciao for now! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter

**Crimson Ice Flame: I know, I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but here it is! Summer is here and stories will be finished so be prepared! Please like and review, other than that, enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter**

Sly was on the couch, watching TV while Bently was on his computer.

"Hey. Bentley, look up the Red Rose." Sly said.

"Got it." Bentley said as he started typing.

The Red Rose just seemed to strike his fancy. He had heard about her and wanted to look into her and what she was about.

"Found her." said the turtle as Sly got up and went over to the omputer.

"Let's see what we've got here..." Sly said, leaning over to see the computer screen as Bently read it aloud.

"It says thats she's also a master thief and that she likes to go by the name "The Red Rose," but it doesn't say her real name though. She's also a master assassin but only works alone. Oh, and she never shows her face; she covers it with a red mask to hide it." Bently said.

"Interesting... She looks like the kind of person who would be a good ally for our mission... I like her..."

"Sly..." Bentley said.

"Yeah, yeah, focus on the mission, I got it. Come on, Murray probably has the fountain opened up for me so I can grab the tail feathers." Sly said, Bentley rolling his eyes before following suit.

Reiko pounced from building to building, flipping through the darkness until she reached the nightclub, but that's when she saw it: a vanwith the Cooper logo on ither side. There was a giant gap where the fountain used to be which indicated that must be where Sly went through to get into the nightclub.

Reiko decided this was her chance to go see for herself what was going on as she went through the back and climbed through the ventilation system, going into a hidden room where she found a printing press along with the Clockwerk tail feathers.

Reiko carefuly got down onto a pipe as she saw the money loving lizard, Dimitri, along with Sly. They were talking as Reiko decided to listen in as not to give away her position, watching as Sly's big, bushy tail swayed back and forth.

"Now I see why they call him ringtail..." Reiko whispered. "Wow... He looks a whole lot better in person too." she smirked.

"Dimitri, give up the Clockwerk tail feather ad we can both walk away from this without a hassle." Sly said.

"Look, bro, you're cramping up my style with all this violence and talk..." Dimitri said.

"Listen, the Klaww Gang is up to no good, so just hand over the tail feathers and we can-" Sly was cut off by Dimitri.

"Yo, man, what's with all this talk of feathers and clocks!? Look, you see the money, you like the money, take as much as you want, yeah?"

"No deal. You and the Klaww Gang have to be stopped; Clockwerk will never again see the light of day."

Ok, this conversation was getting nowhere fast, so Reiko wanted to end this as she jumped down from the pipe she was perched on, her heels making a loud echoing sound when she landed as both boys looked over to a figure in the shadows. She stood as she walked forward with her hips swaying back and forth along with her tail.

"Sorry to interrupt boys, but I couldn't help but overhear your little chat down here and thought I should intervene." Reiko said as she stood next to Sly.

"You must be the Red Rose; a pleasure to meet you." Sly said.

"The pleasure's all mine, Sly Cooper, but please, call me-"

"Reiko Ayako. I've missed you, babes. So, you've finally come crawling back to me after all this time?" Dimitri said.

"In your dreams, you money hogging reptile. Why would I ever come back to you after what you did to me all because I wouldn't run your damn nightclub with you?" she spat.

"Come on, don't be like, Sweet Heart." Dimitri went up to Reiko and reached up to grab her mask, but instead, it shocked him as he yelped out in pain, grabbing his hand with the other.

Reiko smirked. "If you think you can removed this mask of mine, you're sadly mistaken. It's now supercharged and if anyone tries to take it off except myself, it gives them a little surprise. Only those whom I have authorized can remove my mask, and I haven't given you that privilege. I won't let you have your way with me again, Dimitri because I've learned my lesson, but have you? From the way you're trying to woo me, I think not..."

"You little cunt! I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance!"

"Like I would've let that happen..." she replied.

She darted for Dimitri, pulling out her sword as she separated it, dashing past him as she slit his arm. Reiko then roundhoused Dimitri in the back of the head as he fell over. She jumped up and flipped over to Sly.

"He's all yours. I just came here to make him turn down his loud music..." Reiko said.

"Understood." Sly tipped his hat before taking over.

Reiko turned around and watched as Sly gave Dimitri the beat down, when suddenly...

"REIKO! BEHIND YOU!" Sly shouted.

Reiko turned around to see Dimitri, but before she could react, he grabbed her by the throat with his tail, lifting her off the ground. Reiko grabbed his tail, trying to pry it off her neck as she gasped and sputtered for air. Her struggling was in vain as her arms dropped and her sword hit the ground with a loud clang.

"Die you whore, DIE!" Dimitri said until Sly appeared behind him, whacking him in the back of the head with his cane as Reiko fell to the ground, holding her throat as she coughed violently.

Sly got down to her and sloyly rubbed her back, Reiko gasping as she jumped slightly.

"Hey, calm down. It just me, Sly. You're Ok now, just breathe..." the raccoon said calmly.

"Grab the tail feathers and...get out of here..." Reiko said between her pants.

"Im not leaving you here; you can barely breathe as it is, I'm staying."

"Just go, I'll...I'll be fine..."

"No, I won't leave you here."

After a couple minutes, Reiko had calmed down and was breathing normally again. She connected her sword and put it back in its sheath before Sly helped her stand.

Sly grabbed the teal feathers and put them in his red pocket pouch on his leg when he suddenly heard sirens. Without warning, Reiko was grabbed by the waist as Sly jumped up.

A moment later, Interpol police bursted through the wall as Sly and Reiko made their getaway.

Carmelita saw the two and quickly went after them.

"Sly, get in the van, I'll be there in a sec, but you'd better be ready to catch me."

"Catch you?"

"Just trust me, now go."

Sly nodded as he jumped down, Reiko turning to see Carmelita.

"All right, thief, hand over the tail feathers."

"Oh, I don't have them, I was merely assisting the master theif, Sly Cooper. I can't be a thief if I haven't stolen anything, yet..." Reiko chuckled, lifting her hand up as she removed her mask, Carmelita glaring at her. "Well, I would love to stay and chat with you some more, Carmelita, but I'm afraid I have other business to get back to. Ciao, Miss Fox."

Reiko jumped, spinning several times, but before she fell, she stopped and gave Carmelita a wink as Sly caught her in his arms. Carmelita ran to the edge as both waved to her, the van speeding off as her voice was heard in the night as the two closed the van doors.

"COOPER! AYAKO!" she screamed.

**Crimson Ice Flame: Again, I'm so sorry for the long wait, but here it is! Hope you liked it! Please like and review! Ciao for now!**


	3. Chapter 3: My Past

**Crimson Ice Flame: Eek! I'm so sorry for the long wait but I've had other stories to type, update, and finish but I will surely update this story quicker now that it's SUMMER! *Everyone cheers and whistles* Oh yeah! Summer is here and I'm a typin' machine so let's not keep you guys waiting any longer and let's get a move on! I bring you the Red Rose! . XP**

**Chapter 3: My Past**

Sly set Reiko down as he examined her face. "Wow... I must say, you're a hell of a lot more beautiful than I would've imagined you to be behind that mask." Sky said, Reiko blushing slightly.

"You're quite the lady killer yourself, Cooper, if I do say so myself." Reiko said before pressing a button on her mask.

"What are you doing?" Sly asked with a grin.

"Reprogramming the authorization function." Reiko put her mask on as a little screen popped up in front of the left eye. "I'm scanning you and the other two so that whenever you try to touch my mask, you won't get shocked into next week."

**(Ha! Admit it, you're laughing right now.)**

Reiko quickly scanned the three as they were now authorized to touch her mask, the little screen disappearing as Reiko removed her mask.

"You three are now able to touch my mask without getting shocked."

Sly leaned against the van wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Why hide behind a mask when you have such a pretty face? Why not use an eye mask like me?"

"Because when I take my mask off, no one knows who they're looking for."

"Fair enough." Sly shrugged it off as his hat covered his eyes.

... ... ...

"Where are you guys taking me anyway?" Reiko finally asked.

"Monaco." Bentley answered. "We're trying to reclaim all the Clockwerk parts from members known as the Klaww Gang."

(Klaww Gang? I know them... This can't be good...) Reiko thought.

"Well we have the tail feathers, so what's next?" she asked.

"The Clockwerk wings, which are in possession of a spice lord who is located in Monaco, India."

"I see, so I guess this means I'm going with you for the time being?"

"Just until the mission is completed and we destroy Clockwerk." Sky said, not bothering to look up.

Reiko nodded, staring at her mask. She stared at it for a long while as she could so easily recall the memories it held.

A couple hours had passed and Reiko was silent, just staring at her mask with a blank expression on her face.

"Reiko, what's the matter? You haven't spoken for hours now." Sly said.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing..." she replied.

"It's not nothing. You haven't spoken or even moved for a couple hours. What's wrong?"

"I'ts nothing." she repeated.

Sly wasn't buying it He had to help Reiko, but he couldn't do that if she won't talk. Sly took the mask from her hands and sat next to her, quickly pulling her into his arms as her eyes went wide. She then relaxed, placing her head on his shoulder.

"What's bothering you, Reiko? I can't help you if you won't tell me what's on your mind." Sly said

Reiko was silent.

"My past."

"What about it?"

"It's not a pleasant one..."

-Flashback-

Reiko was eight years old, and her older sister, Rika, was ten. Reiko lived a happy life of "royalty," but secretly, her parents were still thieves. They never gave up their life of crime, of which Reiko knew, even for a young girl, she could tell that thieving was in her blood.

However, according to Reiko's family history, there was a secret family heirloom that was actually hidden in plain sight. The very sword Reiko has this very day is the sacred family heirloom that as supposed to be passed down to Rika once she turned 13. But Reiko's family had another secret. Hidden in the household was a secret book all about her previous ancestors and about thieving, but Reiko's parents never showed her the book because they didn't want her to become a thief, but we all know that fate has other plans...

One night, six unexpected guests made an unwelcomed arrival at the Ayako manor. They called themselves the Klaww Gang. Without hesitation, Reiko's mother picked the girl up and ran to her bedroom. She told Reiko to stay there until she told her to come out. She then closed the door and went back downstairs.

Suddenly, Reiko heard ear piercing screams as she gasped. The eight year old, not knowing any better, ran from her room and down the stairs to the living room. Fear filled her blue eyes at the sight she was faced with. There, before her, was blood spattered all over the room, her mother, father, and sister all lifeless corpses.

Tears welled up in Reiko's eyes as she opened her mouth to let out a scream, but a hand quickly covered her mouth as she was lifted up, a razor sharp spider-like hand to her neck as she trembled.

"What should we do with this one?" the spider woman asked.

"Can we just kill her? I haven't had a good meal in a while..." the tiger growled.

"No." the robotic bird said.

"Oh, heavens no! What's the fun of kill all of them when we can let this one run off so that we can hunt her down later?" the small parrot looking bird that was perched on a moving swing said.

"Whatever, man..." the lizard said.

"Go find the book." the robot bird ordered.

Everyone but the two birds and spider that held Reiko left and went to find the book. Instead of slitting the pages, they just torn the book apart.

The small parrot went up to Reiko in the spider's arms, staring into her eyes as tears fell from them.

"I wonder how long she'll last... Probably not long." he laughed.

Once the members came back, the spider dropped Reiko on the floor as they gave her a few seconds to make a run for it before they were to come after her. She scooted back on the floor, tears streaming down her face as she trembled violently.

"Go find that sword so I can destroy it myself." the robotic bird demanded.

Reiko suddenly looked over and saw the sword perched on the wall. While the six were distracted, Reiko got to her feet and ran to the wall, climbing up the fireplace skillfully as she grabbed the sword. She then jumped down, but slipped in a pool of blood, falling on her stomach as the sword slid a few inches from her.

Everyone looked over and saw the sword on the ground as Reiko's eyes shot up to them. "The sword! Grab it then kill her!"

Reiko squeaked as she pounced to her feet, grabbing the sword and dashing off out the door into the night, quickly hiding in a tree as the six dashed past her. When Reiko was sure they were gone, she slowly climbed down from the tree and went back inside, looking at the sight before her.

Her clothes were covered in the blood she slipped in as she walked past the dead corpses, looking at their bodies, but focusing on their faces as she made her way to her room. Reiko let out a soft sob as she entered her room, changing into different clothes. She put on a red spaghetti strap shirt; a red skirt; red gloves; and her red boots. She then grabbed the sword and went to the torn shreds of the book.

It took a while to piece it all back together, but Reiko manged to repair the shredded book as she grabbed it. She found a blue backpack as she stuffed the sword and the tattered book in it before running out into the night.

That day, Reiko vowed to get her revenge on the Klaww Gang...

-Flashback End-

"Reiko, I'm sorry, I didn't-" Sly tried to get out.

"It's all right... I vowed that day that I would get revenge on them, and I will... I still have that old book with me that took me forever to fix after it was torn to shreds." Reiko removed her backpack and took out the old and torn up book that now looked older than it used to, handing it to Sly. "I've read over a hundred times, maybe, and I still like to read it... It reminds me of my parents and refreshes my memory on everything about thievery."

"I have a book of my own, but it came from a long line of master thieves before me known as-"

"The Thievious Racconus, I know. I studied you for a little bit and found out about that book of yours and what you went through to get it back..."

The fox grabbed her mask, staring at it again as she chuckled softly. "I remember when I first got this mask... I found it in a store, and right then and there, I knew that I couldn't fight back my thieving urge anymore or my need to kill... I modified the mask myself and made this costume. Soon enough, I was known as the Red Rose, master thief and assassin... This mask holds many memories, but behind it all, is just another thief looking for vengeance..."

Reiko sighed, closing her eyes before opening them again as she spoke. "Who are we looking for in Monaco now that I think of it...?"

"An Indian tiger that goes by the name of Rajan."

"Humph... The tiger that wanted to just eat me right on the spot... Truth is, after I had grown up and gained my thieving reputation, the Klaww Gang was interested in me, but I never told them my real name. True, I showed them my face, but that was it... Rajan... The tiger that was my friend, but ruined that by developing an obsession with me... And when I refused to stay with him, he tried to kill me then too... The bastard doesn't deserve to live, not after what he put me through..."

"So you had a history with the Klaww Gang while I had a history with the Fiendish Five..." Sly stated.

"Yes... I knew I would face my past, just not in this way..."

Sly put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be there the whole time watchin' your back."

Reiko smiled. "Thanks, Sly..."

"Anything for a friend." he said with a grin.

**Crimson Ice Flame: You see the irony? Sly got the Fiendish Five while Reiko got the Klaww Gang. Irony up the ass. But! There's more to come and much quicker this time, hopefully! Ciao till then!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Mission Begins

**Crimson Ice Flame: Chapter 4 is here so hold onto your seats because this is gonna get fun! Btw, the flashback in the previous chapter: complete BULLSHIT! But just go along with it for the sake of the plot...**

**Chapter 4: The Mission Begins**

It took all night and day, but they finally arrived in Monaco by sunset the next day. Everyone got out and went to look for a place they could use for a hideout. Reiko went scouting when she found a cave.

"Hey guys, how 'bout this?" she asked, pointing to the cave with vines over the entrance. "It looks like an actual hideout someone else made. Let's check out the inside."

Reiko walked past the vines and took a look inside. There were two sofas, a kitchen, two bedroom, bathrooms included in each, and a TV in the middle of the room with the sofas. The boys chose the big room while Reiko got the other one since she was the only girl.

It was a reasonable sized room. It had a bathroom, a bed, a window with curtains, and a TV on the wall. Reiko walked out of the room and took a look at the one the boys shared. There were two beds on either side and a hammock in the corner, near the ceiling.

"A hammock? Who sleeped there?" Reiko asked.

"Huh? Oh, that's Sly's He loves those things and wanted one for a bed." Murray said. "Hey, Reiko, can you put this pillow and blanket up there for Sly?"

"Sure thing." Reiko took the pillow and blanket as she wall jumped to the hammock, setting them in the middle before flipping down and landing on her feet.

"Thanks little buddy!"

"No problem."

"Once everything is set up, I'll get to work on everyone's missions so we ca get to work." Bentley said.

... ... ...

The next morning, Reiko opened her eyes and stretched her arms as she let out a yawn. She pushed the sheets off and swung her legs over the bed as she stood, stretching the sleepiness from the rest of her body before going into the living room.

She looked around to see Murray on the couch and Bentley on his laptop, but no Sly. Where could that damn raccoon be?

"Where's Sly?" the fox asked.

"Out. He's out getting some recon photos then has to open up the drawbridge for Murray and I. The missions are posted up there. Reiko, you have a mission now, but before you do that, Sly is waiting for you so the two of you can get some recon photos of the ballroom guests. Sly said he would do it himself, but I can't trust that ring-tailed sneak as far as Murray can throw him that he won't get himself into trouble, so go get changed then go find him before he gets himself in trouble...again."

"Will do." Reiko went into her room and changed, throwing her backpack over her shoulder, grabbing her sword, and putting on her mask before going to find that ringtail.

Reiko dashed through the trees and bushes, jumping onto the drawbridge wall. She finally spotted Sly balancing on a pole as she climbed up, crawling towards him.

"Hey, Sly-"

"Ahh!" Sly jumped to the next pole.

Reiko laughed as she removed her mask. "Relax, it's just me, Sly."

"Dammit, don't sneak up on me like that when I don't expect it, Reiko..." Sly pouted.

"Always expect the unexpected, and I didn't, or at least I wasn't trying to... I came to meet up with you so we can get the recon photos of the ballroom guests Bentley wants."

"Right... Let's get going then." Sly said, the two darting off to the ballroom.

On their way to the ballroom to find another entrance where they wouldn't be seen, they decided to turn it into a race to see who could get there first.

"Come on, you're gonna have to go faster than hat if you wanna catch me!" Reiko said, speeding up.

Sly on the other hand decided to turn this into a game of his own as he tried to catch up with her. Reiko finally jumped up to the balcony, holding her index finger up as she was about to touch the door.

"Looks like I-"

"Don't think so!" Sly tackled Reiko, pinning her to the balcony as he smirked, removing her mask. "Gotcha."

"Bastard..." Reiko said, smirking as well.

"You wanted a race, but I turned it into a game of my own called 'Catch the Fox.'" Sly said.

"Hmph... That was a dirty little trick you pulled, Ringtail... Now if I had known about this 'game' of yours, I would've tried harder..."

"But then where's the fun in that?"

"Sly, Reiko, come in. " said the voice of Bentley.

"Sly here, what's up, Bentley?"

"Did you guys find a way into the ballroom?"

"Going in now." he said. "Come on, Reiko."

Sly helped Reiko up as he gave the fox her mask back, the blue-eyed woman strapping her mask to her belt as they went inside the ballroom, going towards the entrance way.

"Sly, Reiko, stay out of the hallway so you're not seen." Benley said. "Just get the photos and get outta there."

"Roger that, Bentley." Sly said, the two getting out their binocucoms.

"Let's see here... The Contessa, Jean Bison, Arpeggio, Rajan, Neyla, and...Carmelita? What's she doing here?" Sly asked.

"Don't know, but Neyla's a pretty cool cop; saved my ass during a few robberies." Reiko said.

Suddenly, Sly and Reiko were getting a call on the binocucoms.

"Sly, Reiko, this place is crawling with cops! That's all the photos I need, so go ahead and head back to the Safe House. Sly, you get to work on opening the drawbridge." Bentley said before disconnecting.

"Uh-oh, Carmelita's coming, we'd better hide." Reiko said.

"I've got a better idea." Sly took off his hat and red pouch, tossing them out of sight with his cane. He then pulled Reiko close, whispering in her ear. _"Follow my lead."_

Sly got down to Reiko's neck as he began kissing, licking, and biting at it, leaving the area sore. Carmelita was close though, so close...

"Oh, Daneil..." Reiko made up a fake name off the top of her head.

"Get a room you two; this is no place for that." Carmelita said before walking off.

Sly pulled away from Reiko after making sure Carmelita was gone, putting his hat and red pouch back on. He grabbed his gold cane as Reiko had slightly reddened cheeks.

"Nice acting back there, you really made it convincing." Sly said.

"Oh, it was nothing..." Reiko blushed, putting her mask back on. "By the way, you do know we had plenty of time to make a run for it, right?"

"Yeah, but that's not nearly as fun as what I did." Sly winked.

Reiko huffed. "Whatever, I'm going back to the Safe House now to get my next mission."

"You do that." Sly said, Reiko walking to the doors. "See ya back at the Safe House, beautiful."

Reik froze for a moment, just standing there, until she smirked to herself. "Sure thing, Ringtail..." she then dashed off.

**Crimson Ice Flame: See? I told you I'd have this one up soon! Now it's time for the next chapter where our favorite raccoon crosses a line with little miss Reiko. Stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5: Bribes and Searches

**Crimson Ice Flame: I return to you with chapter 5 where things are really gonna start heating up for our two thieves! Please like and review! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: Bribes and Searches**

The next morning, Reiko got out of bed and went into the living room. Bentley and Murray were out on their missions, so that left Sly and Reiko alone. She looked over to see a sleeping Sly on the couch, his hat and pouch on the table while his cane was leaned against it. His eye mask was off as well as he slept there on the couch.

Reiko smiled softly as she grabbed a blanket and covered Sly with it before sitting at the table. She opened the laptop as she checked the missions, a confused look on her face.

_"What the...? What the hell is this?"_ she whispered to herself.

On her mission, it said 'Learn to Belly Dance/Steal Dancer's Outfit.' Reiko was confused and angry at this as she grabbed her ear piece and got in touch with Bentley outside the hideout.

"Bentley here, what do you need, Reiko?" the turtle asked.

"Do you hate me, Bentley?" she asked. "Tell me, what the hell was going through your mind when you made that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy; I mean the mission you decided to give me."

"Ah, yes. I need you to belly dance for Rajan at the ball to impress him, then second time around, you actually need to woo him while Sly handles Carmelita so Murray can get the Clockwerk wings."

"Belly dancing? Me? Who the hell do you take me for, Bentley?"

"Reiko, please do this... I can always make the costume for you if you prefer?"

Reiko closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "When this is all said and done with, don't expect a pleasant mood from me as well as the costume untouched because I'm going to burn the damn thing into oblivion then boil my fur."

"So you're in?"

"Yes, I'm in, but just this once. Good thing I already know how to belly dance... I've lived here long enough. But if I ever have to dance for him after we get those wings, you're gonna wish that shell of yours was an iron fortress."

"Deal, now get moving, Reiko. Get Sly so the two of you can go get your outfits together once Murray and I return. And besides, Reiko, it's not like you don't show off your body anyway, this is just a little more and you'll be dancing."

"Can it, you oversized dictionary or the calculator gets it." Reiko hissed.

"Only a joke, Reiko. See you then." Bentley said before disconnecting.

Reiko sighed as she went back inside, looking up to see a certain raccoon up on the couch.

"Oh look, it's awake..." Reiko said in a sarcastic voice.

"Smartass..."

"Look who's talking. And you call **me** the smartass? Don't think so seeing as you have that position all locked up." she grinned.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever... I head about your little mission."

Reiko panicked. "Mission? What mission?"

"No need to expain. So, you know how to belly dance, huh? Care to give me a sneak peek at what Rajan is in for?"

"Don't think so, Sly. I'm not an idiot and from what I've heard and seen for myself, you can't be trusted as far as Murray can throw you."

"**Do** you know me, or do you **think** you know me?"

"Oh I know you all right and you're not getting a sneak peek."

"Then I guess you don't wat this back..." Sly held up a stuffed teddy bear that had patches sewn in different places and two different button eyes.

"Wh-where do you get that...?" Reiko asked.

"I found it stashed away in your backpack."

"Give it back." Reiko demanded.

"If you want it, I get to see you dance."

"Uh, no! Now give me back Patch!" Reiko spat, reaching for the bear as Sly moved it away from her reach.

"If you won't dance, then I guess you won't mind if I show the guys that you've got a secret stuffed animal stashed away."

"I'm not dancing!"

"Then no bear."

"Cooper, you're crossing a line you shouldn't." Reiko growled.

"You want the bear? Come and get it, Sweet Heart."

"My pleasure." Reiko jumped over the couch, landing on Sly as she reached for the bear again, but he moved it again so she couldn't grab it.

"Cooper! Give me back the bear!"

"I said you can have it if you dance."

"And let you win? Not gonna happen, now give me my bear back!"

"Dance first."

"I'm not dancing and that's final. I don't care what it takes, I **will** get Patch back whether you give him back willingly or I take him back by force."

"Go ahead and try it then."

Reiko smirked. "Oh I will."

The fox attack Sly as they fell off the couch and fought on the floor, rolling around as Reiko wouldn't give up until she got her bear back. But you know, all good things have to come to an end as Reiko finally got her bear back, however, Sly ended up getting pinned to the floor by Reiko sitting on his chest.

"I told you I'd get him back one way or the other, but you didn't listen." she grinned as she held the bear in her arms. "Have you learned your lesson of never take my things or I'll kick your ass into next week?"

"Nope, but this is **me** we're talking about here..."

Reiko rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Ringtail..."

... ... ...

Later, Sly and Reiko were in the hotel, a call coming in on their binocucoms as three screens popped up, one for each of them.

"Ok, Bentley, we're inside, now what?" Sly asked.

"This isn't an exact science but, ransack all the rooms until you find a piece of the tuxedo."

"Anything that involves ransacking is Ok with me."

"Reiko, you need to sneak into the dressing room on the other side of the building. Make sure to get the pink and red outfit because that's the main event I've set you up in."

"Got it. Anything else?" Reiko asked.

"Don't screw this up you two... Once you've got the outfits and made it to the ballroom, I'll give you instructions from there."

"Roger that, Bentley." the two said in unison before disconnecting.

"Once I find my outfit, I'll meet up with you." Reiko said.

"Got it, see ya then." Sly said before the two went their separate ways, Reiko jumping onto the wooden banisters as she skillfully ran along them.

Reiko finally stopped at a rhino with a flashlight who stood in front of the door. She looked around, spotting an open window above the door that lead into the dressing room. She quickly leaped, grabbing a rope as she swung through the window and into the dressing room. The smell of hairspray and perfume immediately violated her nose and she almost wanted to gag.

Reiko hummed a groan before sighing, dashing through the clothing that looked like a rainbow had thrown up onto dull clothing when the sound of a couple girls talking and laughing caught her ears.

"Who gets that pink and red outfit?" one girl asked.

"Some fox, but they don't know her name. All they know is that she's an expert dancer and the main event for tonight." another girl said.

Reiko sighed again, knowing they were talking about her when she spotted the pink and red outfit. She quickly snatched it away and stuffed it in her bag, taking off her mask as she put that away with it before going to look for Sly.

She jumped out of the window she came through and ran along the banisters again, easily finding Sly not to much farther away from where she was just at. Reiko snuck into the room and saw some guards unconscious. She then decided to please herself as she took out her sword, separating it and killing off the guards. She grinned at the sight of the crimson red fluid spilling out as the scent filled her nose.

_"The smell of blood is so much more appealing than that wretched dressing room..."_ she whispered before making her way to Sly.

"There you are. I've got the tux, do you have the dancer's outfit?"

"As well as poison in my lungs... God, it's like a deathtrap in that room with how much hairspray and perfume there was. I killed off those guards to try and regain my sanity."

"Whatever floats your boat." Sly said.

Reiko rolled her eyes. "Let's just get over there so we're not late."

"Fine..." Sly fake pouted as he grinned, making Reiko playfully punch him in the arm.

**Crimson Ice Flame: Chapter 5 is done! Next shit really goes down during the dance! Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: Ballroom Dancing

**Crimson Ice Flame: It's me again with another chapter of the story you all seem to love so much! So let's not keep you waiting and let's get a move on, shall we?**

**Chapter 6: Ballroom Dancing**

Sly knocked on the door, the little slot for a pair of eyes opening as a man spoke. "Do you have your tuxedo now, sir?"

"Why yes, I'm here to dance." Sly replied.

"And the lady?"

"I'm the main even dancer, outfit in all." Reiko said.

"Then come on in!" the eye slot closed as the door opened, Sly and Reiko being taken in separate direction.

... ... ...

Reiko had her outfit on as she examined herself in the full length mirror. She had on a red, strapless bra with pink and red beads on the edges; underwear the same color with pink see through pants that had beads on the waist and ankles; pink and red shoes; and rink and red beaded bracelets on both wrists that fit snug so they wouldn't fall off.

The fox looked around the room when she found a red veil. She grabbed it and tied the see through cloth around her head as it covered her entire face so the only thing visible was her royal blue eyes. Reiko looked at herself in the mirror again, examining her face and outfit to make sure no one could recognize her as she grinned sneakily.

"Reiko, come in, Reiko." said Bentley's voice.

"Reiko here."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. I'm in the costume and made sure my face was covered. I'm ready to go."

"Excellent, you and Sly are on soon, so go get into position."

"Roger that. See you when I'm finished here." Reiko said before leaving the room.

... ... ...

Reiko peeked arounf the corner, no one. She quickly made her way through the halls. Even in costume, she didn't want to draw attention to herself. She finally found all the other dancers in blue and green outfits.

_"There you are."_ she whispered before making her way to the front. She quickly got into position, stretching her arms and legs and fixing her hair as the music started.

The double doors swung open and fog filled the entrance way. That signaled her cue to go out as she twirled to the center of the floor. She danced with great skill, her arms and hips moving perfectly, but that was when she saw him.

Reiko looked over ad saw Rajan as she tried to keep her cool and resist the urge to kill him right then and there. She saw his claws tapping at the arm of his thrown chair as she seemed to be growing impatient.

(Note to self: burn this outfit and boil fur into an oblivion when this is over with...) Reiko thought irritably.

Sly on the other hand was in his tuxedo as his job was to impress Carmelita in order to distract her later so Murray could get the wings.

"Your disguise is working perfectly, Sly; no one will recognize you in that outfit. Now, during the heist, you have to distract Carmelita and the crowd, but first you need to impress her and she's very picky with her dance partners." Bentley said.

Sly fixed his bow tie "All right, I think I know just the girl for the job. " he said as he went over to Neyla. "Constable Neyla, you're looking lovely this evening."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked.

"I used to chase after you back in Paris."

"Paris? ...Sly Cooper!? You wouldn't happen to be turning yourself in, Old Ironsides would fall out of her dress."

"No, but how about a dance first?"

"Enchante." she replied as Sly took her hand, the two starting to dance.

Reiko sighed and danced towards Rajan until she was right in front of him, dancing before the Indian tiger. Rajan growled in a pleased way, reaching out and grabbing Reiko's hips as she spoke.

"Ah-ah... You have to be patient to get what you want, my lord." she smirked.

Reiko finally gave him what he wanted and caressed his arms and chest. She continued to dance before him as Sly couldn't keep his eyes off of her until the song was coming to an end, but before she could dance off, Rajan pulled her into his lap.

"You're quite an excellent dancer, Ms. Red, but I feel like I've see you before..." he said.

"Well I am one of the dancers."

"Yes, but you seem more experienced."

"I've been dancing like this much longer than they have, but don't my lord, I'm sure we'll see each other again, now I really must be off."

Back with Sly, he paused his dancing with Neyla in a dip.

"Are you you using me to get at Old Ironsides?" she asked.

"I am...do you mind?"

"Not at all." she said before they continued dancing.

Rajan grabbed Reiko's hand and kissed it as she groaned internally before the tiger sent her off. She quickly twirled to the center of the dance floor as the song was at its end. She leaped as high as she could. twirling as she fell back down and landing in the splits with her right arm extended straight up and left bent, her head behind her head.

Everyone clapped as Reiko rose to her feet, Sly's dance also ending as Reiko and the other dancers disappeared through the double doors that closed.

"Thank you, that was lovely." Neyla said sheepishly.

"Thank you Constable Neyla; it takes two to tango."

"Yes, and three is always a crowd." she said with a grin as Carmelita joined them.

"Neyla, your friend here is quite the accomplished dancer."

"I tried to make him look good." she replied.

"Please, Neyla, his skills far surpass you."

"Perhaps you and I could share a dance later, Miss..." Sly started, pretending not to know her name.

"Miss Fox... Carmelita Fox...and I accept."

Reiko let out a sigh as she reached over and picked up her mask, now in her thief's outfit when the door suddenly opened to reveal a strangely familiar tiger.

"It's been a while, Red Rose, or do you prefer Reiko?" the woman asked.

Reiko turned her head and smiled. "Neyla, nice to see you again, and just call me Reiko. How was you dance with the ringtail?"

"Better than I anticipated, but it was only to impress Old Ironsides."

"Yes, that's true. Anyways, I should be off now.; I do have other things to attend to." Reiko went over to the window as she opened it, just about to put her mask on when Neyla spoke.

"By the way, about your hair, you'd best fix it in some way next time or Rajan just might find out it's you hiding behind that cloth. I suggest maybe a low side ponytail; simple yet unrecognizable."

"Thanks for the tip." she said.

"Oh, and tell Cooper I said thanks again for the dance." she smirked.

Reiko froze for a moment before grinning, turning her head back to Neyla.

"Will do, Neyla. Ciao."

"Au revoir." Reiko gave her a small salute with her finger before putting her mask on and jumping out the window. "She totally has a thing for Cooper..." she smirked to herself.

Once Reiko made it back to the hideout, she entered as everyone clapped and cheered, Reiko removing her mask to reveal a shy grin.

"Come on guys, it wasn't that big of a deal..." she blushed.

"Maybe, but you sure know how to work a crowd, and Rajan. I couldn't keep my eyes off of you." Sly said.

"Yeah, you say that now, but wait till the operation. You'll screw up during your dance with that high strum officer and blow the whole thing." Reiko walked past him when she stopped. "Oh yeah, Neyla said thanks again for the dance."

Sly smirked. "Well how else did you expect me to get Carmelita's attention?"

Reiko smiled. "I'm sure you would've found a way, Sly." she said before going into her room and closing the door.

Sly closed his eyes, his cap covering them as he leaned against the wall with his his arms crossed, his gold cane at hand. "That fox is somethin' else..." he said.

"I heard that, raccoon."

"You were suppose to."

"Whatever, just watch out for snakes in your hammock tonight."

"Will do, Reiko, will do."

**Crimson Ice Flame: And there ends another chapter to a fantastic story, but keep reading because the next chapter is gonna get heavy! Ciao till next time!**


	7. Chapter 7: Hack 'n' Go

**Crimson Ice Flame: Oh and you thought you could just go ahead and read the operation! Sorry, but you need to include the extra details or else it won't make sense, so let's keep on rolling!**

**Chapter 7: Hack 'n' Go**

"Ok, Bentley, I'm inside, now what am I looking for?" Sly asked.

"Check under each table until you find the security code, then type it into the keypad so that you can pull the lever and let Murray, Reiko, and I inside."

"Got it." Sly quickly crawled under a table, nothing.

He crawled under another, blank. Then another, and another, still nothing. He sighed irritantly until he crawled under the last table, his eyes lighting up with glee.

_"Bentley, I found it!"_ he whispered.

"Great, now go enter it in the security pad then let us in."

Sly got out from under the table and went over to the laser entrance way as he entered the code, the lasers disappearing. He quickly made his way to the lever at the other end and pulled it, the doors upstairs opening as the three entered, Sly jumping up to meet them as he leaned on his cane.

"All right everyone, now that we're inside, it's time I put my hack skills to the test and gain control of the electronic wench above the Clockwerk wings in the ballroom." Bentley said.

"So...what are we here?" Murray asked.

"As soon as I hack into the security mainfriame, they'll be onto us. Your job is to cover me until I hack all five levels."

"Bentley, do you think I could help you hack? I do know my way around a security firewall." Reiko asked.

"I forgot that you have skill with hacking... Sure! Two heads are better than one as I always say!"

"Great! Let's get started then." Reiko said.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Bentley said as the two started typing. "Starting level five hack."

As soon as Bentley and Reiko started hacking through the computers, guards started pouring out at Sly and Murray did their best to hold them back. Suddenly, a money was about to blow fire at Reiko until she whipped her sword out and threw it, instantly killing the guard without even looking. She did a couple backwards somersaults as she grabbed her sword, ending in front of Sly. She grabbed his chin as their faces were close.

_"Watch my back, Ringtail or I'll just kill them all myself..."_ she whispered before flipping back to her computer. "Level four is a go." she said.

"Level three is going down!" Bentley said.

Suddenly, something was thrown at Reiko as it hit her in the back of the head, knocking her to the floor. "Nugh!"

She hit the floor as Sly turned back. "Reiko!"

The fox slowly lifted her body as she grabbed hold the the computer. "I'm fine, but what part of _**watch my back **_didn't you understand?"

Sly and Murray continued fighting off the guards while Bentley and Reiko did their hacking. "Level two doesn't stand a chance." Reiko said.

As if on cue, another object was hurled at her, but Sly quickly caught it as Reiko flinched, looking back to see the ringtailed raccoon smirking.

"I'm not what now?" he asked sarcastically.

"Shut up and just watch my back." she growled.

"Level one!" Bentley and Reiko said in unison.

Reiko quickly heard something come flying at her as she ducked, avoiding the object, but didn't react fast enough as another object hit her in the back and an arrow cutting her arm.

"Ahh!" she grabbed her arm as the object hit her dead center of her back, knocking her to the floor. She didn't give up as blood was falling from her wound, reaching up and continuing to hack until Bentley finished it all, no more guards coming from the doors as they closed and locked.

"Yes! I'm unstoppable! All five levels have been hacked and I now have complete control over the electronic wench above the ballroom! Thanks for the helps guys, you too, Reiko. Reiko?"

"Reiko!" Sly said her on the floor as blood was dripping down her arms, holding the wound as blood covered her gloved hand.

He ran over to her. "Reiko! Are you Ok!?" he panicked.

"I'm...fine..." She sat up, still holding her arm. "Just a little scratch..."

She got to her feet, Sly doing the same when she tried to walk, the pain in her spine shooting to her legs as they gave out. Sly quickly caught the girl in his arms.

"You can't even walk... When that brick hit you in the back, it must've enabled you to walk for a little while. I'll take you back to the Safe House."

"Once we get back, I'll figure out the plan for tonight. Until then, Reiko needs to rest. I'll give her something for her back and arm." Bentley said.

"Sounds like a plan... Come on, Reiko, let's get you to bed." Sly said as he walked out with Reiko in his arms.

Once back at the Safe House, Sly cleaned and bandaged Reiko's arm while she changed her bloody glove for a clean one. Sly then laid her down as Bentley gave her something to help her go right to sleep.

"Sly..." she groaned, her eyes feeling heavy. "Thank...you...for...being there... ..." she said before her eyes dropped.

Sly caressed her cheek, kissing her forehead. _"Always..."_ he whispered.

A few minutes had passed as Reiko opened her eyes to find herself in a dark room, a light shining on her. She looked down at herself and noticed her mask wasn't on and she was tied to a chair, struggling to get free. Suddenly, another spotlight came on to reveal Sly, but someone was holding him by his shirt collar as his cap fell to the floor. Her eyes widened when she saw who was holding him. It was Rajan as he had a devious smirk on his face.

"First I'll kill him, then I'll deal with you." he said. "Maybe I'll take advantage of you first then kill you off..."

He pulled out an Indian knife as he make cut marks everywhere on Sly's body, Reiko yelling out. "No! Stop it! Leave him alone! Sly! Wake up, Sly! Sly!"

Tears were streaming from her eyes, soaking into her fur as she started screaming, but Sly wouldn't wake up as he was getting stabbed, thrown, hit, beaten, everything, but he wasn't budging. "Please stop! Stop hurting him! He did nothing to you!"

Rajan roared, Reiko's eyes shooting up to meet his own to see them filled with anger as she trembled. The tiger dropped Sly on the ground face down and allowed him to bleed out. Reiko stared as the raccoon laid there, motionless, blood pooling around him. Suddenly, Rajan went behind Reiko and cut the ropes that held her to the chair, he then grabbed a chunk of her hair and threw her on the ground, but before Reiko could react, Rajan hurled his foot his foot into her stomach as she wretched. But Rajan didn't stop there as he lifted her by her hair again and forced her to her feet. Reiko was suddenly turned around, her back was against Rajan's chest as he held the same sword he used on Sly to her neck.

"I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance, but that damn robobird didn't let me." Rajan hissed. "But I'll make up for that by killing you now, Red Rose..."

Reiko was crying uncontrollably as the sword was just a millimeter away from her neck. "P-please...d-don't d-do this..." she begged.

"It's too late for that, my little fox, but don't worry, now you can be with your beloved raccoon over there..."

"No! Please! Someone, help me! Please!" she shouted.

"Say goodbye!"

"SLY!" Reiko's eyes snapped open as she shot upright, tears falling from her eyes as she panted.

Suddenly, Reiko's door swung open as she looked over to see Sly, a worried look on his face.

"Reiko, what's wrong, are you all right?"

Without warning, more tears cascaded down Reiko's face as she got out of the bed and ran to Sly, throwing her arms around him as she sobbed into his shoulder. Sly slowly wrapped his arms around the sobbing fox as he spoke calmly.

"I thought...I thought he...killed you..." she said, still very shaken up.

"Who did?"

"R-Rajan... I th-thought he killed you, th-then went after m-me, but...I woke up... I thought y-you were gone, Sly..."

"Well it was just a dream and I'm fine. Just get some rest; we still have some time before the heist."

Reiko tightened her grip on him, shaking her head slightly as she looked up at him. "P-please...don't leave me..." she whimpered.

Sly could see the fear in her eyes as he held her tighter. "I won't... I'm always here for you..."

**Crimson Ice Flame: Is it weird I wrote this while listening to a song call **_**SAMURAI GIRLS**_**? Nah, I just so happen to be listening to it while writing this, wink wink, nudge nudge. Next up, the chapter you've been waiting for where things are getting hot!**


	8. Chapter 8: Operation: Hippo Drop

**Crimson Ice Flame: I now have chapter six with an ironic name for the chapter so let's get on with the story! Like and review!**

**Chapter 8: Operation: Hippo Drop**

That night was the operation and everyone was getting ready to snag the Clockwerk wings. While Murray was getting into position, Bentley destroyed the bridge so that no one would be able to interfere with the heist while Sly and Reiko were ready.

"Ok, Sly, the bridge is down. I'll warm up the van and get ready with the RC Chopper, good luck." Bentley said.

"What!? The bridge is destroyed? Take all the man power you need and look into it!" Rajan growled.

"Murray, you in position?" Sly asked.

"Check!"

"Reiko, you ready?"

"Affirmative."

"All right, initiating phase two. I'll distract Carmelita while you handle Rajan so Murray can get the wings. Are we all set on our objective?"

"Check." everyone said.

"All right, then I'm on." Sly said before walking up to Carmelita. "Miss Fox, I believe you owe me a dance."

"About time, thought you had left." she said.

"Just waiting for the perfect moment." he said before the two started dancing.

_"Damn bitch..."_ Reiko huffed. _"What have I done to deserve this...?"_

Reiko was in position as the doors swung open and smoke filled the entrance. She closed her eyes and sighed, whispering something to herself.

_"Let's get this over with..."_

She opened her eyes again as the music started. She danced out to the center of the floor, moving her arms and hips perfectly to the music. Reiko danced around, going toward the crowd when she heard Rajan give an impatient growl. She glanced over and knew what had to be done as Murray was being lowered down from the opening in the ceiling with the electronic wench Bentley was controlling from inside the van.

Reiko danced over to Rajan until she was right in front of him, planting herself on his lap as the tiger immediately took hold of her waist. Reiko didn't say anything as she caressed his torso, doing everything she could to please the tiger as Murray had gotten the first wing off and towed it up, going back for the second.

"Looks like someone wants to go back to my chambers later..." Rajan growled in approval.

(Yeah, in your dreams.) Reiko thought as she got off his lap and danced around the crowd, staying close to Rajan.

Sly had glanced up as saw Reiko on Rajan's lap, pleasing the arrogant tiger as he could feel his jealously boiling up, but shoved it away when Reiko hopped off his lap and went for the crowd, Carmelita speaking.

"You seem familiar to me... Are you in law enforcement?" she asked.

"I often deal with police while on the job."

Oh how true, yet so deceiving all as the same time. Sly did tell the truth, just in a different way as the two continued their dance.

Suddenly, Reiko saw Rajan turning so he could admire his Clockwerk wings. Reiko had to act fast as she sat on his lap again, grabbing his chin to face her again as Murray sighed to himself, mouthing "Thank you."

"Keep you eyes on me, tiger or you'll miss the show..." she said seductively.

Sly heard that through his ear piece as he groaned internally. "How did I end up with such a stunning dancer?" Rajan asked.

"I don't know, how did you? I guess you're just lucky..." Reiko fake smirked.

(Kill me, kill me, kill me, **kill me!**) she thought.

Once Reiko saw Murray get the final wing, the song was coming to it's end as she got off of Rajan's lap. "I hope to see you again, Ms. Red." he said.

Reiko gagged to herself once she turned away from him before twirling to the middle of the dance floor. She jumped and did a 360 mid air before landing on her stomach with her legs bent upwards, her right arm straight up, and her chin resting on her left hand. Sly had ended with Carmelita in a dip as he pulled her back up, everyone clapping as Reiko and the other dancers went back through the double doors.

"Tell me stranger, what's your name?" Carmelita asked.

"Why ruin the moment?" Sly asked.

"Huh? I...I don't understand..."

"The wings! What happened to the Clockwerk wings!?" Rajan exclaimed.

"What!? How? Who could've...? Whuh? Cooper!" Carmelita turned to see the wings gone and felt something in her hair. She took it out to see a rose with Sly's calling card on it.

"Nice job distracting the wench while I took care of Rajan." Reiko said.

"Why did it look like you were enjoying it?" Sly asked.

"What? Do you want me to blow my cover and get killed on the spot? I'm a better actress than you know, Sly Cooper."

"Well you had me fooled..."

"As did I have Rajan too. Now let's get going before-" Reiko was cut off by two rhinos bursting through the doors.

"Freeze Sly Cooper and Red Rose!" one said.

Reiko groaned. "The least you could do is use my real name. Is that really too much to ask for?" she huffed.

"And this is where we make our getaway." Sly grabbed hold of Reiko's waist as he used his came and hooked it onto a zip line wire, sliding down as Reiko took out smoke bombs, dropping them down to the guards while Murray was still trying to get to the van.

Once down the zip line, Sly and Reiko jumped in the van just as Murray had gotten the wings in. The two saw Carmelita up on a balcony as she had a pissed off look on her face, her dress blowing in the breeze. Sly and Reiko waved goodbye to her before closing the doors.

"Let's roll!" Murray said as he took off.

"To Bollywood." Sly said, Reiko leaning against his shoulder.

"Bollywood it is..." she said. "How did I end up in the arms of a master thief?"

"How did I end up with a secret assassin **in** my arms?" Sly retorted.

"Touche, Cooper..." she sighed, Sly pulling her closer.

The gang made their way to Bollywood where they got into a hotel and rented two rooms, one for Murray and Bentley, the other for Sly and Reiko, even though they ended up just sharing a bed. But they managed to sneak Murray into an Indian musical where he had a blast, as did the rest of the gang as they relaxed for a little bit.

Rajan on the other, was different. After the Cooper Gang had crashed his party, he ran off from the palace and into the deep jungle where the gang now had to track him down. A tiger who has all the money in the world decides to stay in India? It didn't make sense. Rajan was hiding something, and it was the Cooper Gang's job to find out what it is...

**Crimson Ice Flame: Ooooh! Sly got jealous for a moment and Rajan escaped! Now they have to track him down and find out what other secrets he's keeping hidden! Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9: Tiger Hunting

**Crimson Ice Flame: I return with more, my pretties! Juuuuuuust kidding! But here's more! And I'm gonna mix things up a bit so now this story is taking a big turn and officially becoming my own! So let's begin!**

**Chapter 9: Tiger Hunting**

The gang finally found where Rajan was hiding: deep in the Indian jungle where they found out he has the Clockwerk heart and runs a secret and illegal spice production. With the power of that metal heart, who knows how much spice production would increase? That heart has got to go, and it's going home with the Cooper Gang if they have a say about it.

Once in the jungle, they had to leave behind the van because the jungle was too thick to drive through so they hide it and went the rest of the way on foot where Reiko spotted a cave in the shape of a dragon's head high up in the jungle canopy. They settled on that one as the boys set everything up, but Reiko needed a little walk to herself. She leaped around when she saw a certain fox show up and decided to use this to her advantage as she leaped in front of her, the startled cop aiming her pistol at the mask fox.

"Inspector Fox, we missed you back in Bollywood not too long ago. Where have you been all this time?" she smirked, her mask hiding her face.

"Busy tracking you down, Reiko, what else?"

"Cute. But why don't we talk for a bit? I never got a chance to talk with you back in Monaco. Come to think of it, the last time we spoke was back in Paris after Cooper retrieved the tail feathers. Oh yeah, almost forgot, we also stole the wings back at the ball."

"I knew it!" she shouted.

"Ok, the least you could do is keep your voice down unless you want to get shot at... But in any case, your dance partner at the ball was the very ringtail you've been trying to catch. He was right under your nose and you never even knew. Oh, but let's not forget, I was there too distracting Rajan as the main event belly dancer, and I must say, I do know how to act to part of a slutty dancer, but you sure can play the role of the ignorant cop very well, can't you, Miss Fox?"

"Shut up! Just hand over the parts and I might let you go..."

Reiko laughed. "You really think you can catch me? Please! After all this time you've spent profiling me, you still think you can throw me in jail? You must be dreaming if you think you can, Doll Face. It's such a relief that a thief like myself **isn't** related to a wretched bat like yourself, Carmelita. It dies me dearly to know that you've never caught the Cooper Gang ever since you were assigned to them a couple years back, and now you've been forced to come after me, one of the top ten most wanted criminals in the world. How I love to watch you squirm... Anyways, I enjoyed our little chat, but I'm afraid I must make my leave. I've got a score to settle with a spice lord... Ta-ta, darling. We'll meet again, I'm sure of that if I know you, which I do. Till then!" Reiko laughed again before dashing off, Carmelita firing her shock pistol at her as she missed every shot, like always. "Again, work on your aim, Hun! I can do better in my sleep!"

Reiko easily lost the annoying cop with the fast ace she was going at as she entered the Safe House, the guys giving her strange looks.

"So...where'd you run off to?" Sly smirked.

"Hang on a sec. Wait for it..." she held one finger up as everything was silent.

"AYAKO!" shouted Carmelita's voice in the distance.

"There it is. Does that answer you question?" she asked.

"Reiko, you didn't..." Bentley said, a hint of fear in his voice.

"I most certainly did." she grinned, taking off her mask.

Bentley sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You just had to confront Carmelita, didn't you...?"

"Please, if there's one thing I enjoy most, it's fucking with that high strum wench." she replied. "And besides, can't I have a little fun once in a while?"

"It's your funeral..." Bentley said.

Reiko chuckled. "Setting my recklessness aside, do I have any missions, Bentley?"

"Yes actually. Sly, I need you to take some recon photos of Rajan's secret spice operation and Reiko, I need you to inspect our surroundings and snap a ew pictures so I can figure out what we're dealing with and come up with a game plan."

"Right, be back soon, don't wait up. Come on, Sly." Reiko said as her and the ringtail dashed out the door.

Reiko dashed around, stopping by a wobbly tower that looked like it would fall if it was moved wrong as she peeked around the corner, Sly right behind her. She crept along the wall, her back against it when she suddenly fell backwards.

"Reiko!" Sly reached out and just barely missed her hand as she screamed.

"Sly!"

It felt like Reiko would fall forever as all she saw was darkness. She thought this was the end as she was probably close to the ground, but suddenly, Reiko hit something soft as she bounced up a few times until finally stopping. She looked around but only saw darkness as she pressed a button on her mask to activate her night vision. She looked around as she could see everything through the lenses that appeared.

_"A room?"_ she whispered.

Suddenly, Reiko heard talking and footsteps growing closer. She began to panic and quickly looked around the room again when she saw a wardrobe closet. I ran over to the closet and turned off my night vision as I closed the doors, the main door opening and the light coming on as she peeked through the crack when she saw him: Rajan.

Slowly, Reiko pulled out her binocucom and snapped a few pictures when she heard a voice in her ear.

"Reiko, are you there? Reiko? Are you all right?" asked Bentley's voice.

_"I-I'm fine. I fell and landed in a room. I can see Rajan and I'm kinda scared right now."_ she whispered ever so softly, just loud enough for Bentley to hear but low so Rajan wouldn't hear.

"Yeah, Sly contacted me and told me what happened. Can you get out of there?"

_"Yeah, but not yet. When he leaves, I'll get out the way I came."_

"Just hang in there, Reiko. Be strong, I knw you can do this..." Reiko felt relieved when she heard Sly's voice on the other line.

I nodded to myself. _"I'll get out the way I fell once Rajan leaves."_

"I'll wait there until you get out then." Sly said before disconnecting.

Reiko closed her eyes for a moment as she sighed softly, removing her mask and strapping it to her belt. When she opened her eyes, she saw Rajan walking past the closet when he stopped right in front of of the cracked doors, facing the door he came through. Reiko quickly tucked herself back in the corner just as he turned to face the doors, covering her mouth. Rajan walked closer to the doors, reaching his hand out when he heard something.

"My lord!" a faint womanly voice called out.

Rajan froze as he heard the voice again. He let out a short growl before turning away. "I'll find her and then kill her like I should've done years ago... I **will** find you, Red Rose..."

He left the room, slamming the door shut. Reiko let out a breath she had been holding as she opened the doors slowly, crawling out of the closet. She quickly took out her binocucom again and snapped as many pictures as she could of the room before stuffing it away and making her way out of the hole she fell through. It took a while, but she finally made it up and was about to climb out as she reached her hand out until it was suddenly grabbed. Reiko was pulled out as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her body. She then realized that it was Sly that had pulled her out as she whispered into her perked up ear.

_"You did great down there. I'm glad you're Ok..."_

Her eye lids lowered slightly as she wrapped her arms around him, gripping his shirt tightly.

"I thought he was was gonna find me..." she whimpered.

"It's all right, you're not near him anymore, you're here, with me..." Sly pulled away from Reiko, pushing her chin up.

Their lips were just centimeters from touching until Sly closed the gap, pressing his lips against Reiko's in a kiss. Their tongues twirled together as Sly pulled the fox closer to his chest, deepening the kiss. They finally pulled away when Sly heard Bentley on the other line.

"Sly, is Reiko with you?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's with me and she's fine." he said, breaking the kiss. "I'm gonna take her with me, if that's all right."

"As you wish, just get me those photos so I can come up with a plan."

"Roger that. Come on, Reiko, let's get going." Sly grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

**Crimson Ice Flame: Gasp! The tension is building and things are getting heavy! Stay tuned for more where things are gonna get a little sexy! Wink wink!**


	10. Chapter 10: Buggin' Out

**Crimson Ice Flame: Things are gonna get a bit sexy here soon, so those who are intrigued with this, continue on, if you dare!**

**Chapter 10: Buggin' Out**

After Sly's recon, Bentley came up with a plan after piecing all the photos together. Bentley found out that Rajan was able to track what the gang was up to with a satellite dish and Sly's job was to get special spices and put them in the elephants food bag. Once the elephant ate the spice, it would lose control and the satellite would be destroyed while Reiko's job was to bug Rajan's office, which didn't sit too well with her...

"Have you cracked your shell or something!? Are you nuts!? After what I've just been through, you seriously expect me to put that damn outfit on again and distract that tiger just so I bug his office? Have those RC Chopper fuels gotten to your brain or what!? You've lost your mind if you think I'm doing that!" Reiko shouted, slamming her hands on the table.

"Come on, Reiko, after this, you can do what you please with that outfit." Bentley said.

Reiko growled. "You owe me big time for this, turtle..." she said, going towards her room to change.

"Good luck." Bentley said.

"Shut it, you oversized calculator!" she hissed.

Once changed, Reiko tied her red veil on and went out to the table, her arms crossed and an unpleasant look in her eyes as they were narrowed at Bentley.

"Now that you're changed, here, take this." Bentley handed Reiko a small device. "When you get to Rajan's office, press that button on top and it should activate then attach it to the bottom of his desk where he won't be able to find it easily. And Sly, you know your job, so get on that. The spices you're looking for are high up in the tree canopies."

"Got it. Good luck, Reiko." Sly lifted her veil and kissed her on the cheek before dashing off while Reiko pulled her hair into a side ponytail.

"That means I'm off then." she said, attaching the device to her pants and grabbing a little something extra before making her exit.

Once down, Reiko knew where she was going as she walked along, guards not bothering to stop her as they thoughts she was a dancer when guess who showed up **again**...

"Hold it right there." the woman said as Reiko walked over to her.

"Yes? Do I know you?" Reiko acted.

"I'm Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox and I wanted to know if you've seen the Cooper Gang around anywhere."

Reiko shook her head. "The Cooper Gang? Never heard of them. What do they look like?"

"It's a band of four. A grey raccoon, a pink hippo, a green turtle with glasses, and a fox with a red mask."

"No, I haven't seen them around. Sorry..." Reiko obviously knew how to act in order to lie right to Carmelita's face.

"All right, well I'll just keep looking then... Thanks anyway..." she huffed.

"No problem. Sorry again, but I'll let you be on your way."

"Yeah, well, I'll fid them eventually then capture them all..."

"Ok, I'm sure you will..." Reiko said before walking off. "In your dreams maybe..." she said once Carmelita was out of hearing range before continuing to Rajan's office.

When Reiko finally reached Rajan's office, she went through the door and looked around until she heard a growl. "Who's there!?"

Reiko took a deep breath, composing herself before walking out of the shadows to see Rajan sitting at his desk.

He growled delightfully. "I see you came to find me, Ms. Red." he smirked.

"Guess I just couldn't stay away from you, my lord..." she rolled her eyes slightly, walking closer to him. "What is it my lord would like this time?"

Reiko sat on his lap, her legs on either side of his body as she was facing him. Rajan growled in pleasure as he kissed her neck, going to her shoulder slowly and downwards from there. While Rajan was distracted, Reiko carefully grabbed the device off her pants and held it behind her back, pressing the button on it before attaching it to the bottom of his desk in a place she knew he wouldn't find it as his hands traveled all around her waist, the tiger kissed lower and lower until Reiko pushed his chin up.

"Now, now, you have to earn that, my lord..."

(I'm going to kill myself after this!) she thought.

The tiger smirked, kissing at her neck again until Reiko had had enough of this bullshit as she pulled something out from the back of her bra. It was a small container as she opened it, pouring some of the content into her hand that looked like dust, but was blue. She closed the cap and put it back in her bra before pushing Rajan's chin up again.

"Is my lord enjoying himself?"

"I'd enjoy it more if I could take off that veil..." he growled pleasantly.

Reiko chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry, my lord, but I'm afraid this is where we depart..."

"Hm?"

Reiko held up her hand, lifting the veil over her mouth as she blew the dust in his face. Within seconds, Rajan was out like a light as he laid there in his chair. The fox dusted her hands off as she stood. "You cunt stealing son of a bitch... Teach you to murder my family... You mess with the bull, you get the horns... Dick..." Reiko growled as she took her hair out of her ponytail and took the veil off, ripping it to shreds as she left Rajan's office.

The annoyed fox made her way back to the hideout, avoiding the guards as she saw the elephant start to lose control before running off, the satellite breaking into pieces. She smirked to herself as she saw Sly dash back towards the hideout, when he saw Reiko. Without hesitation, he went for her, grabbing her chin.

"Hey there, beautiful, how'd it go?" he smirked.

"Other than the face my fur is tainted with his lips, I'd say pretty well. That knockout dust I created worked perfectly on putting Rajan's lights out for a while."

"Come on, let's get back to the Safe House and I will make that body of yours feel untainted. How does that sound?"

"Depends... Do I get a a shoulder massage while Bentley explains the operation?"

"Whatever my fox wants, she can have." he replied swiftly.

"Fine. Let's just go before that cop figures out it was me feeding her lies earlier..."

"What did you tell her...?" Sly sighed.

"Nothin' much, just basically lied about seeing the Cooper Gang, that's all."

"Still as devious as ever I see..."

"Do you really expect anything less?"

"Not really..."

"Then don't complain, Ringtail." she said before walking off towards the Safe House.

**Crimson Ice Flame: Ha! I love cold hard irony! Rajan basically just got bitch slapped six ways from Sunday by a fucking girl! I love being me... Till next time, things just keep getting hot! What happens when a plan goes wrong? Read and find out! Ciao!**


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